Online scan of FASD prevention and health promotion resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Issue addressed

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) includes a range of life‐long impairments caused by alcohol exposure in utero. Health professionals are vital to preventing FASD but many are hesitant to discuss FASD with clients due to their need for additional resources to aid the conversation. This scan sought to identify the scope and gaps in publicly available FASD prevention and health promotion resources, and assess their cultural appropriateness for use among five key groups of Indigenous Australian people including: (i) pregnant women, (ii) women of childbearing age, (iii) grandmothers and aunties, (iv) men, and (v) health professionals.

Methods

Relevant resources published 1995‐2017 were identified through the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, FASD organisation websites, grey literature, Google searches, and field experts. Results were screened by inclusion and cultural appropriateness criteria developed and piloted by the research team, and further screened by health professionals attending FASD training workshops.

Results

115 of the 2146 identified resources were eligible. Relevant resources were found for all five key groups; however, no resources were specifically designed for men, grandmothers or aunties.

Conclusions

A range of high‐quality, culturally appropriate resources were identified, however, health professionals attending the training workshops were not aware of their availability. Further resource development is suggested for men, grandmothers and aunties.

So what?

Prioritisation of active dissemination and implementation strategies is suggested to increase awareness and use of future resource developments. The inclusion of a resource trial among health professionals is a recommended strategy to increase awareness and use of newly developed resources.

     

Do nurses smoke because of stress?

A comparison of learner nurses and student teachers indicated that occupational differences in smoking prevalence were established prior to entry. However, learner nurses experienced higher stress for the greater part of their first year of training and this was one factor contributing to the consolidation of smoking among them. In general, smoking was seen as a way of dealing with negative feelings and although smokers did not experience greater stress than non-smokers, the former were more likely to feel anger. Lower levels of perceived stress were associated with moves to lesser smoking, suggesting that stress prevents smoking being given up. Some non-smokers were vulnerable in that they both experienced higher stress and saw smoking as a solution. The use of maladaptive intrapsychic coping techniques and the absence of social support outside nursing were both associated with movements to greater smoking.